A new non-profit strategic alliance, the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, has brought together maritime stakeholders across North America to collectively address the challenge of climate change. The organisation’s 24 founding members represent all aspects of the maritime value chain.

Through focused workstreams, the Coalition will facilitate collaboration among industry stakeholders regionally and globally; and identify, evaluate, encourage and engage in commercial and technical pathways and projects that deliver significant near-term reductions in GHG emissions and lead to commercially viable net-zero emissions.

The four workstreams are:

• Measurement and operational efficiencies
• Finance, commercial and chartering
• Policy, regulatory and incentives
• Technology, infrastructure and fuels

Concentrating on regional waterborne transportation in North America, the Coalition’s focus complements other organizations’ efforts targeting maritime decarbonisation goals.

“We believe that decarbonisation is possible, but only if all stakeholders along this end-to-end value chain are willing to rally together to take advantage of the opportunities in this landscape and address these challenges through cross-sectoral collaboration,” said David Cummins, President of the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, in a statement.

Founding members of the Coalition are the American Bureau of Shipping, the American Waterways Operators, Bay Houston Towing Co., Caterpillar, Centerline Logistics, Chamber of Shipping of America, Citi, Crowley, Green Marine, Holland & Knight LLP, Kirby Corp., Lloyd’s Register, Marine Money, Marsoft Inc., MIT Sea Grant, Moran Towing, OSG, Port Houston, Purus Marine, Shell, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Wärtsilä North American, Inc., Washington Maritime Blue and the Water Institute of the Gulf. Additionally, DNV, Matson and Seaspan are Supporting Sponsors, and the Getting to Zero Coalition is a Knowledge Partner of the Coalition.